The invention relates to an apparatus for identifying and playing back selected portions of program material recorded on a magnetic tape cassette.
Several possibilities of quickly retrieving selected information or portions of audio or video programs recorded on a record carrier are already known to those skilled in the art. Most of these possibilities are based on providing standardized identification during recording, such as time markers, at given areas of the record carrier. By counting these time markers, a unique identifier is obtained, which can be used for quickly locating a given passage on the tape. The identifier can be filed as desired by the user by operating an element in a memory associated with the apparatus, which in a known tape memory device (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 3,988,778) is designed for storing the identifiers assigned to a single magnetic tape. If now a given part of the tape is to be reproduced, the associated identifier is obtained from the memory and the tape is taken to the desired area in the quick search mode of operation. In this quick search mode of operation, the tape must be in the threaded state because the time markers provided on the tape must be counted for determining the real location along the tape.
Further, it is already known from EP PS 29946 and from U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,644 to transfer the stored identifiers to a part of the tape free from recordings (for example the beginning or the end) before the tape cassette is taken from the memory of the magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, and to reinsert the identifiers into the memory associated with the apparatus when the magnetic tape is reloaded.
EP-Appl. 169597 discloses a compact disc digital audio-player. In this known apparatus, a memory is provided in which besides location and time information about several sections or recorded musical programs, other information is stored which permits identifying the inserted disc. Identification and quick location of a desired section or musical program take place by comparison of the stored information with information contained as a subcode in the digital audio information.
It is further already known to draw up manually during recording a playing time contents list and to start during reproduction a desired signal part during playback, for example by means of a GOTO command in the quick rewind mode (with threaded-up tape).